Let me begin by saying thanks. First thank you, all of our loyal readers, for the time and support you give us each week by reading our blog. Also, thank you for allowing me to sharing several more pictures of our girls with you in this article (hopefully you aren't getting tired of seeing our favorite subjects!). Next I’d like to thank my husband for being the primary blogger and the one willing to keep our website up-to-date. My gift is not in the technical things, and to be honest, with two little ones to keep up with, getting one blog entry out was a challenge (my 3 yr. old is asking me questions as I type – How long do you think she should have quiet reading time? I told her 15 minutes, but I could be too strict
Today I’d like to talk to you briefly about the obvious blessing and not so obvious challenges related to having a photographer’s eye and how to handle those challenges. First let me define a photographer’s eye. For my purposes today, a photographer’s eye is the natural or developed skill of seeing the world in snapshots. You know what I mean. Driving a long in your car, you see the perfect sunset and your first thought is “man that would be a beautiful picture.” (Believe it or not some people don’t think about the picture they just enjoy the moment). Or at a wedding, you see the little details, the conversation between bride and Dad or the look exchanged between bride and groom. With the photographer’s eye, you see the perfect snapshot, the perfect moment to capture, the beauty around you that should be preserved for all to enjoy. Everyone doesn’t have this ability and what seems like second nature to some of us is actually a unique gift and skill. Many will take years to develop it and others never will.
Let’s look at the obvious blessing first. The most obvious blessing is that you get to experience (and capture) moments that otherwise would be lost, especially on a shoot when you are paid to capture the story of an event. Like the picture below of the bride and her little sister sharing the excitement of preparing for the wedding.
Someone without “the eye” might get lost in the hustle and bustle in the room at that moment. Or, another example (on my own time) while waiting to pick-up take out Chinese food, you see that perfect sign, and just happen to have your camera with you to capture it. (This was taken in the Haight District in San Francisco, all the signs and names of local businesses play on the word "hate" - it is pretty cute)
As a stay at home Mom, I have most recently been reminded of the challenges related to having a photographer’s eye. First I am constantly surrounded by the two most beautiful subjects for any picture (yes, I am biased) – my girls. However, as Rob has mentioned before, children are one of the most difficult subjects for any picture because they don’t sit still for very long. What I have found is that amidst the sticky fingers, spit-up covered clothes, errands, and play dates it is rarely practical or possible to have a camera available and easy to grab to capture the moments, especially not big DSLR like the D3. But I still see the perfect snapshots and desire to capture them. So what do you do?
The key is to always be prepared. No I am not a boy scout, but I am married to one. :-) I have learned to always have a camera ready and within reach. When I am at home, I have my D90 out on the hutch, where it is always ready for those quick photography needs. This way I don’t miss these kind of moments.
However, when I am running errands or on a play date, having a camera quickly in reach is key. This even applies to those of you without kids… be honest you see things worth photographing when you are out running errands, too. What about that unique architecture on that church or the sun coming through the trees? I wouldn’t have gotten the Haight St. picture without following this rule.
Sometimes it is appropriate to have your professional camera with you. There's nothing better than shooting with Rob's beloved D3, or even Nikon's other DSLRs. But for those of us toting kids, sometimes you have to sacrifice quality for capturing the moment. After much convincing, Rob finally conceded to getting me a Nikon Coolpix. It’s small enough to fit in my diaper bag or purse and to tote around without worry about breaking the camera or knocking the lens out of whack. Now I have a camera within easy access wherever I am (at home or on the go), so I can capture moments like the one below that I otherwise would have been unprepared to capture. I believe it’s better to get a lower quality picture and work it over in Photoshop later than it is to miss a priceless moment. This one was taken with the little Coolpix.
Okay, now we have all been in the position where we saw the perfect picture, but missed it. You either didn’t have your camera with you or you did and just couldn’t catch it in time. Regardless, because you have the photographer’s eye, you have a hard time forgiving yourself for missing the moment. I did this on the way to the gym one morning. It was an overcast morning, but the sky was stunning. In the time to and home from the gym I saw 4 very different, very beautiful images of the sky. The way the sun broke through the clouds was absolutely amazing. But who carries their camera to the gym? I still think about that morning and wish I had been able to capture God’s gift to me that day. Rob had one of those mornings in Toronto. I think he’s shared it with you before. You know the one where he was on the streets of Toronto and missed the “Pulitzer prize winning picture”- the homeless man with the sports car driving by. In this case, he even had his camera, but just wasn't prepared for the shot. We were in Toronto over 2 years ago, but he still talks about that moment.
That leads to one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a busy mom who happens to be a photographer - learn to forgive yourself. During professional shoots, you generally don’t have time to dwell on moments lost. It’s just not an option. You have to keep moving and capture the next great shot. I need to adapt this rule in all scenarios. I need to do my part by being prepared and having a camera easy to access, but I also need not dwell on the lost shots. Instead we as photographers should cherish all the beautiful details of life and creation, capturing the ones we can, and always being prepared to catch the next one.
